Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Hosanna - "Save Us Now"
Rev. V. M. Mathew
Youth Chaplain,
Northeast Region
9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed
were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who
comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
The term ‘Hosanna’ is from from Hebrew word hōshi āh nnā; which means ‘save now, we pray’. The crowd who followed Jesus, shouted with this small prayer, had completely misunderstood Jesus’ personality and divinity. The history of Israel reveals that the people were always under some kind of political regime and for a long time their religious freedom was threatened because of these regimes. So they were eagerly waiting for a saviour who delivers from the political slavery. So the crowd was following Jesus and shouting with a wrong intention. When they shouted they wanted Jesus to deliver them from their political slavery but Jesus was here on earth to save us from the slavery of sin. Who is Jesus to us and why do we follow him are two important questions that we need to ask in this Palm Sunday. Many people follow and look at Jesus with wrong intentions and reasons. Even today people follow Jesus for their selfish and wrong motives. Are we following him as a personal saviour from the slavery of sin?
There is no alternative (TINA) is a norm of the day. We are constantly reminded to accept what is given and follow the norm. But this passage is telling us there are alternatives. A king can ride on a donkey, the stones can shout, on a day of rejoicing, sometimes, weeping is necessary are the examples of alternative life styles. Jesus was always an agent of alternatives throughout His ministry on this earth. On His triumphal entry to Jerusalem, once again He showed the whole world that alternatives are possible and that is a Christian’s way of life.
If we follow Jesus today our lives will become a counter culture to the prominent cultures of our society and our ways will be with alternatives to slaveries of sin and death. Our life with the salvation experience is a life with alternative lifestyles. Jesus is saving us to the experience of alternatives. Let us pray the prayer ‘Hosanna’ to experience the salvation that He offers in our lives. He is inviting us to the way of salvation.
The term ‘Hosanna’ is from from Hebrew word hōshi āh nnā; which means ‘save now, we pray’. The crowd who followed Jesus, shouted with this small prayer, had completely misunderstood Jesus’ personality and divinity. The history of Israel reveals that the people were always under some kind of political regime and for a long time their religious freedom was threatened because of these regimes. So they were eagerly waiting for a saviour who delivers from the political slavery. So the crowd was following Jesus and shouting with a wrong intention. When they shouted they wanted Jesus to deliver them from their political slavery but Jesus was here on earth to save us from the slavery of sin. Who is Jesus to us and why do we follow him are two important questions that we need to ask in this Palm Sunday. Many people follow and look at Jesus with wrong intentions and reasons. Even today people follow Jesus for their selfish and wrong motives. Are we following him as a personal saviour from the slavery of sin?
There is no alternative (TINA) is a norm of the day. We are constantly reminded to accept what is given and follow the norm. But this passage is telling us there are alternatives. A king can ride on a donkey, the stones can shout, on a day of rejoicing, sometimes, weeping is necessary are the examples of alternative life styles. Jesus was always an agent of alternatives throughout His ministry on this earth. On His triumphal entry to Jerusalem, once again He showed the whole world that alternatives are possible and that is a Christian’s way of life.
If we follow Jesus today our lives will become a counter culture to the prominent cultures of our society and our ways will be with alternatives to slaveries of sin and death. Our life with the salvation experience is a life with alternative lifestyles. Jesus is saving us to the experience of alternatives. Let us pray the prayer ‘Hosanna’ to experience the salvation that He offers in our lives. He is inviting us to the way of salvation.
PRAYER
Dear Lord thank you for
the gift of salvation. Let us follow you for the right reason and in the way of
alternatives. Amen
THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY:
“Agape, the love of each one of us for the other, from the closest to the furthest, is in fact the only way that Jesus has given us to find the way of salvation and of the Beatitudes” - Pope Francis
“Agape, the love of each one of us for the other, from the closest to the furthest, is in fact the only way that Jesus has given us to find the way of salvation and of the Beatitudes” - Pope Francis